New director reflects
The volunteer-based Boone County Democratic Party hires a paid position.
April 1, 2008
Former College Democrats President Mark Buhrmester attentively watches the State of the Union address at The Colosseum Bistro last January. Buhrmester was named the Executive Director of the Boone County Democratic Party.
In an election year in which young voters are becoming more involved, that participation shines through in Columbia.
MU Senior Mark Buhrmester, the former College Democrats president, was named the Executive Director of the Boone County Democratic Party.
Buhrmester was ratified at a Boone County Democratic Central Committee meeting on March 13 as the organization’s first Executive Director.
The paid position will be a first for the organization that consists entirely of volunteers.
The BCDP started fundraising to hire an executive director after the 2004 elections, BCDP chairwoman Phyllis Fugit said. Last month, the party collected enough funds to install the position for three years.
“We want this to be a full-time job from now on, as long as we have the funds it will be that way,” Fugit said.
The organization looked at applications from more than 30 people from across the country, but Buhrmester came out as the most qualified to be in charge of the day-to-day operations of the headquarters, Fugit said.
The graduating senior with degrees in communications and political science will start his job on Monday, April 7, and will stay on past graduation.
He said he hopes to strengthen and expand the organization by recruiting more members, planning more events and building an infrastructure of the BCDP for the long term.
As a young person taking a leadership role in a political organization, Buhrmester said he represents the important role that young voters have and the interest they are taking in politics.
“It’s clear that there is a rising tide of youth involvement,” Young Democrats of Missouri President Rick Puig said.
Buhrmester said he worried about handling and being in charge of volunteers that could be up to three times as old as he is, but that after working on a campaign in 2006 he found age is not been a factor.
“They believe in the same things you believe in, not because they are getting paid,” Buhrmester said.
Although he might be considered very young for this position, Buhrmester has shown experience in politics. He said he learned a lot of organizational skills as president of the College Democrats and working in Washington last year. He worked on Jim Ritter’s 2006 campaign for state representative in Missouri’s 24th district. As a result, he said, he has a lot of knowledge about Boone County and its voters.
“You can’t really run a campaign without knowing where you are running,” Buhrmester said.
Current MU College Democrats President Caitlin Ellis said Buhrmester was able to keep enthusiasm high during his term as the organization’s president, despite it being an off year for elections.
Buhrmester said he hopes to focus on the upcoming elections including those at the state level and the presidential election. This includes the two open state representative seats, an open gubernatorial election and senatorial race that will be will hotly contested, he said. Buhrmester said Boone County would play a pivotal role in the upcoming Missouri elections.
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